Iga Swiatek again under scrutiny for outburst, apology

A pattern of questionable behavior

Swiatek has engaged in other shady tactics in recent months. During her semifinal loss to Madison Keys at the Australian Open, the 23-year-old made her opponent wait for more than the allotted five minutes between sets. She also tried to distract Keys before a service game, enraging the American in the process.  

At the same event, Swiatek didn't own up to a double bounce in her quarterfinal win over Emma Navarro. The episode again raised questions about her sportsmanship. 

At February's Doha Open, Swiatek threw a fit in her semifinal loss to Jelena Ostapenko, flinging rackets and drawing a reaction from her opponent. Again, she was lambasted by fans for her behavior.

While most of these incidents can be overlooked — tennis players are humans with emotions — the ball boy fiasco may have been the last straw, and even Swiatek knows it. On Monday, she issued a lengthy statement on social media to apologize for the incident. 

Interestingly, she cited her suspension for a banned substance as a reason for her outbursts. Swiatek felt she was wrongly denied a chance to compete at events leading to the WTA Finals, which led to her losing out to Aryna Sabalenka in the race for World No. 1.

"The second half of last year was extremely challenging for me, especially due to the positive doping test and how circumstances completely beyond my control took away my chance to fight for the highest sporting goals at the end of the season."

She also called out the hypocrisy among fans for not empathizing with her and allowing her to show emotions on the court.

"Nevertheless, to those fans who truly support me, I deeply thank you and want you to know how grateful I am for your kindness. I know I'll never please everyone. I walk my own path," she added.

Swiatek had the chance to fix her public perception with the post. Instead, she may have worsened it.